RIAA File-sharing Trial Begins

The trial of a 30-year-old mother of two, accused of illegally sharing music online and violating copyrights, began in Duluth, Minn. Oct. 2.

Sony BMG, Capitol Records Inc., Warner Bros. Records Inc. and the Recording Industry Association of America have sued 26,000 people for similar violations. However, Jammie Thomas is the first whose case has gone to trial and will be argued before a jury, The Associated Press reported.

Thomas is accused of sharing more than 1,700 songs on a file-sharing network. Most people sued for the violations, which carry fines from $750 to $30,000, settle out of court for a few thousand dollars, the AP reported.

“She came into my office and was willing to pay a retainer of pretty much what they wanted to settle for,” Thomas' Lawyer, Brian Toder, told the AP, adding the RIAA and companies can't prove Thomas shared the songs. “And if someone's willing to pay a lawyer rather than pay to make it go away, that says a lot.”